Beverage container

ABSTRACT

A beverage container including a receptacle for holding a beverage and a display device operable to show the type of beverage held in the container.

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed to German patent application DE 10 2006 031 619.3, filed Jul. 6, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a beverage container.

BACKGROUND

Beverage containers, especially thermal carafes, are employed to hold various types of beverages. It is frequently the case that users cannot see which beverage is in the container, particularly when the container wall is not transparent. When a number of beverage containers have been prepared, it often happens that it is first necessary to open several of them in order to identify the beverage container with the desired content.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a beverage container that, in a simple manner, allows the type of beverage present in the beverage container to be identified quickly without the need to open the beverage container.

The present invention provides a beverage container that includes a receptacle for holding a beverage and a display device operable to show the type of beverage present in the beverage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in greater detail in the following with respect to specific embodiments and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1—shows a beverage container according to the invention;

FIG. 2—shows a detailed view of a display device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3—shows a detailed view of a closure in a side view in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 4—shows a sectional view of the closure shown in FIG. 3.

The present invention allows a person who has filled the beverage container to easily indicate to others which beverage has been filled in.

In an embodiment, the display device has a display surface on which at least two symbols indicating the beverage type are depicted, for example, in the form of letters and/or figures and/or images. For instance, symbols for coffee, tea, water or juice can be provided.

In an embodiment of the beverage container according to the invention, the display device has a viewing disk, optionally with a viewing window. The display device can be configured in such a way that the viewing disk and the display surface can be moved relative to each other, for example, they can be slid linearly or rotated so that, as desired, each of the symbols can be positioned visibly in the viewing window one at a time. In this manner, various display positions can be set. The viewing disk, for instance, can be rotatably mounted with a locking washer.

In an embodiment, the display surface can have, for example, several symbols arranged in a circle. The viewing disk in this embodiment may be rotatably mounted around an axis of rotation that runs through the center of the circle. Both the display surface and the viewing disk can be curved so as to adapt to the contour of the beverage container.

In an embodiment, the viewing disk is configured as a rotary dial of the type used in old telephones, so that users can simply use their fingertips to set the display position.

In an embodiment, the viewing disk can be temporarily locked—and once again unlocked—in at least one position, and optionally in any position. In order to temporarily lock the viewing disk relative to the display surface, the display device can include a latching device. In an embodiment, the latching device has a latching pin.

In an embodiment, the latching device has a spring that exerts a spring force on the latching pin and/or on the viewing disk. For instance, it can be provided that the latching pin is pressed by the spring into a latching groove in order to temporarily lock the viewing disk relative to the display surface.

In an embodiment, the beverage container has a closure, optionally with a stopper. The stopper can be spring-loaded and configured in such a way that users, for instance, by using an opening lever, can move the stopper into an open position and the spring force automatically presses the stopper into a closed position once the opening lever is released, thus sealing the beverage container.

In an embodiment that saves on parts and space, the spring exerts a spring force on the latching pin and/or on the locking washer and/or on the viewing disk as well as on the stopper. The spring is a component of the latching device and also a component of the beverage container closure.

FIG. 1 shows a beverage container 1 according to the invention, comprising a display device 2 that serves to display the type of beverage present in the beverage container 1. The display device 2 has a display surface 3 on which at least two types of beverage are depicted by symbols 4 arranged in a circle with respect to each other. The display device 2 has a viewing disk 5 with a viewing window 6 through which various symbols can be seen, depending on the rotational position of the viewing disk 5 that is rotatably mounted relative to the display surface 3. The selected rotational position of the viewing disk 5 easily shows users which type of beverage is present in the beverage container 1. The viewing disk 5 is mounted rotatably around an axis 7 that runs through the center of the circle on which the symbols 4 are arranged and the disk is configured in the form of a rotary dial of the type used in old telephones so that the desired display position can be easily set using the fingertip or the end of a pencil.

The beverage container 1 is configured as a thermal carafe and has a screw-off closure 8. The closure comprises a stopper (not shown in this figure) that can be operated by an opening lever 9.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view from the top of the closure 8 with the display device 2. When the viewing disk 5 is rotated around the axis 7 relative to the display surface 3, which is arranged underneath the viewing disk 5 and parallel thereto, the viewing window 6 can be moved into the desired display position, so that the symbol 4 that corresponds to type of beverage present in the beverage container 1 is visible.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed view from the side of the closure 8 with the display device 2. By turning the viewing disk 5, the viewing window 6 can be moved into the desired display position.

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the closure 8. The closure 8 has a stopper 10. The stopper 10 is spring-loaded by a spring 11 and arranged in such a way that the stopper 10 is lifted by the user by the opening lever 9 and thus moved into an open position. After the opening lever 9 is released, the stopper 10 is automatically pressed by the spring force into its closed position. The display device 2 has a latching device with a latching pin 12 that is pressed by the spring 11 into a latching groove 13 located in the viewing disk 5 in order to lock the viewing disk 5 in the desired rotating position and to unlock it. 

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A beverage container comprising: a receptacle for holding a beverage therein; and a display device operable to indicate the type of beverage held in the beverage container.
 22. The beverage container as recited in claim 21 wherein the display device includes a display surface including at least two symbols indicating a type of the beverage.
 23. The beverage container as recited in claim 22 wherein the at least two symbols include at least one of a letter, a number and an image.
 24. The beverage container as recited in claim 21 wherein the display device includes a viewing disk.
 25. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein the viewing disk includes a viewing window.
 26. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein at least one of the viewing disk and display surface is movable with respect to the other.
 27. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein at least one of the viewing disk and display surface is rotatable with respect to the other.
 28. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein the viewing disk comprises a rotary dial that is rotatable with respect to the viewing disk.
 29. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein at least one of the viewing disk and display surface is movable with respect to the other such that each of the symbols is respectively positionable to be viewed in the window.
 30. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein at least one of the viewing disk and display surface is movable with respect to the other such that the display device can be set in a display position wherein one of the symbols is viewable through the viewing window.
 31. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein the viewing disk is temporarily lockable with respect to the display surface.
 32. The beverage container as recited in claim 31 wherein the viewing disk is temporarily lockable in each of a plurality of display positions.
 33. The beverage container as recited in claim 24 wherein the display device further comprises a latching device operable to temporarily lock the viewing disk relative to the display surface.
 34. The beverage container as recited in claim 33 wherein the latching device includes a latching pin.
 35. The beverage container as recited in claim 33 wherein the latching device includes a spring.
 36. The beverage container as recited in claim 35 wherein the spring is operable to exert a spring force on at least one of a latching pin, a locking washer and the viewing disk.
 37. The beverage container as recited in claim 21 further comprising a closure for the receptacle.
 38. The beverage container as recited in claim 37 wherein the closure includes a stopper.
 39. The beverage container as recited in claim 37 wherein the stopper is spring loaded.
 40. The beverage container as recited in claim 35 wherein the spring is operable to exert a spring force on the stopper and at least one of a latching pin, a locking washer and the viewing disk.
 41. The beverage container as recited in claim 21 wherein the receptacle is insulated. 